When you look at these stunning images, you may think they show an old library, most probably in a European university.
[ef-archive number=2 tag=”lists” ]
No. This library was not built in Europe, but in the United States. It’s not a university or college library, but the one in a private house. And it wasn’t built in the 18th century, but a few years ago.
The story about this home library in Arizona is almost as stunning as the photographs.
The library was built by Jim Cardon, a Denver-based woodworker with over 30 years of experience. His portfolio includes, besides libraries, amazing examples of custom-built kitchens, cabinets, and reading nooks.
Jim was asked by his brother to design a room for books in Mesa, Arizona. The room is 17 by 27 feet, and its height is 12 feet.
The reference to a European library is correct. Jim Cardon had seen a library in “The Illusionist,” a 2006 movie starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel. And it’s where he took inspiration from.
Although the movie’s plot is set in Vienna, the library scenes were shot in Konopiště Castle, 50 kilometers southeast of Prague.
In a blog post where Jim describes the project in detail, we read:
It was filmed at the Konopiste Castle, built at the end of the 13th century, which was bought and renovated in 1887 to be the residence of Arch Duke, Francis Ferdinand and his family, whom you might recall was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914.
It took Jim 2,700 hours to finish the library for his brother in Mesa. The project consists of over 10,000 single pieces of walnut, and there is a bookshelf space for more than 2,500 books. It’s one of the finest examples of home libraries we’ve ever seen!
A home library built by Jim Cardon
Via EC Gadget.
More to explore:
[ef-archive number=5 tag=”libraries”]
Leave a Reply